Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

Powder blue reed frog (Heterixalus madagasariensis)

Cute Frog of the Week: February 20, 2012

It’s pretty evident that this frog is quite a stunning find. Native to Madagascar, the powder blue reed frog’s color varies from tan to light blue on their backs, and they often appear whitish in bright sunlight. Their abdomens are a very pale whitish-yellow, while the undersides of their limbs are orange. A dark band sits between the eye and snout.

Fairly common, these semi-arboreal frogs prefer to live in a variety of areas ranging from drier sandy lowland dunes/forests and along rainforest edges, to deforested areas around croplands, villages and more urban habitats along the eastern coast of the island.

These are small and agile frogs that can jump over a large distance, though they tend to sleep for most of the day among vegetation.

Photo by Gonçalo M. Rosa via ARKive.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii)

Cute Frog of the Week: February 13, 2012

It’s easy to see how the tomato frog got its name, considering its eye-catching coloration and relatively large size. Males tend to be yellow-orange in color and grow to around 2.3 – 2.6 inches in length, while females are a brighter orange-red and can grow to be around 3.3 – 4.2 inches in length.

Originally from Madagascar, these frogs are a favorite of tourists and locals alike, especially in the town of Maroantsetra. Here, they inhabit gardens, ponds and ditches. The locals refer to their low-pitched call as the onomatopoetic word “sangongon,” with the word spoken aloud sounding similar to the actual call itself.

But don’t try to pick one up! These frogs are known for their sticky skin secretions that they can release when frightened. This substance gets into a potential predator’s eyes and mouth, making it very difficult to hold onto and eat the frog. It also contains a toxin that can cause skin irritation in humans. In addition to secreting yucky goop, these frogs puff themselves up when a predator comes around to make themselves even more difficult to hold onto and swallow.

This species has been listed as near-threatened since 2002 since it lives in a relatively small area, but adapts well to disturbed habitats. Pollution and pesticide use are potential threats, as well as people harvesting and collecting them for trade, which they are no longer allowed to do. Now, most tomato frogs kept as pets by experienced enthusiasts were bred in captivity.

Photo by Gonçalo M. Rosa via ARKive.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Leaf litter toad (Rhaebo haematiticus)

Cute Frog of the Week: January 30, 2012

Can you be-leaf that this is a frog? If you don’t look closely, you might just miss the litter frog if you come across it in the forest. Even though it is relatively large in size, with females that can grow up to 3 inches in length, it practically disappears among leaf litter and tree bark. This ‘dead leaf’ pattern on its back is excellent camouflage and is most often brown or purplish in color with darker blackish and lighter yellow-orange blotches. Their toes are also webbed, but their fingers are not.

These frogs range from eastern Honduras and Costa Rica to Columbia and northwestern Ecuador. In general, these frogs are most commonly seen in Costa Rica, though their population fluctuates and their overall numbers seem to be decreasing.

Litter frogs are nocturnal and live in either tropical forests or humid, moist woodland areas along streams or rivers. They breed during the wet seasons from March to July, and prefer to do so in rocky freshwater pools along the edges of streams where their twilight chorus could easily be mistaken for birdsong. Once the breeding season is over, they often move elsewhere to slightly drier areas.

The main threats to this species are habitat degradation and destruction due to agriculture, wood extraction and cattle ranching. The species is locally threatened by dams in Venezuela and by oil pollution in Colombia. Chytrid fungus also seems to be affecting this species.

Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Cane toad (Rhinella marina)

Cute Frog of the Week: January 23, 2012

This toad, although cute, is deadly. The cane toad (Rhinella marina) is highly toxic to many animals. It is most toxic as a tadpole; as an adult its toxicity affects different species and even individuals within a species differently. This nocturnal toad’s toxin that is secreted from its skin is capable of killing freshwater crocodiles and is even harmful to humans.

The cane toad does have one predator that is immune to its defensive toxin: ants. Ants that are not affected by its toxin can attack the frog at will. Some freshwater fish can also withstand coming in contact with the toxin, and show no ill affect from spitting the cane toad out after trying to swallow it.

Although the cane toad looks harmless with its speckled skin and blue-ringed eyes, it is considered a pest in northeastern Australia, the southern United States and the Caribbean. It is an invasive species in those areas with few natural predators.

Photo by Alejandro Arteaga via Flickr.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Green poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus)

Cute Frog of the Week: January 16, 2012

What clothing designer wouldn’t want the fashion sense of these flashy frogs? But be careful! Their beautiful color patterns are a warning signal to predators that says: “Hey! You’ll regret eating me!!!” Okay, maybe not exactly that…but they are one of the world’s most poisonous amphibian species.

Green poison dart frogs have distinct green and blackish-brownish coloration all over their bodies, though the greenish color can vary from bright green to golden to even blue. Their patterns also vary, from stripes to marbled lines to dots.

The frogs are native to Central America, but visitors to Oahu, Hawaii may also see them because these little frogs were introduced to the island in order to control the bug population. Researchers believe that the types of insects that these frogs eat have a direct effect on how poisonous they are. In fact, native hunters used the poison from these frogs on the tips of their arrows and darts.

Despite the fact that males are territorial and females physically fight each other for the right to mate, they are very good parents. A male’s mating call sounds like an insect buzzing, and after attracting a female, she will lay eggs on a nest of moist leaf litter arranged by the male. He will then watch over them there, cleaning and rotating them as necessary. Once the eggs hatch, the males will carry their tadpoles on their backs to a nearby pond or stream and release them. They will then be on their own and have to fend for themselves. A male may mate with multiple females and will still take care of all its offspring.

Green poison dart frogs are not currently considered threatened and they are a popular pet species for experienced enthusiasts.

Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Etheridge's robber frog (Eleutherodactylus etheridgei)

Cute Frog of the Week: January 9, 2012

Daring to be different, Etheridge robber frogs (Eleutherodactylus etheridgei ) are part of a sub-family of frogs whose young hatch as little frogs instead of tadpoles. And also unlike many other frogs, these little guys prefer rocky hillsides and dense forest to big ponds. Predators might mistake their grayish green bodies for tiny pebbles and overlook their would-be prey. Unfortunately, there are other big troubles for this little guy, including deforestation. The frog is native to Cuba where buildings and developments for tourists’ attractions continue to disturb its home.

Photo by Ariel Rodriguez via ARKive.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Caretta robber frog (Diasporus diastema)

Cute Frog of the Week: January 2, 2012

The Caretta robber frog is also known as the common tink or dink frog, because of the amazingly loud and musical “tink” sound that the male makes at night during the mating season. This sound has been compared to tapping a wineglass with a piece of silverware. Because their call is so loud and identifiable, they make sure to hide from predators before beginning to sing to attract females. There have also been studies that show that a dominant male will usually begin singing, followed by the next dominant male, and so on in a given area. This calling order can also help throw off predators hunting them by sound.

This frog has a large range and can be found mostly on humid lowlands and the slopes of Central America in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. These nocturnal amphibians are very adaptable to change and are able to deal well when their habitat is disturbed by either other animals or human activity. The Caretta robber frogs have even shown that they can change color from day to night. During the day, they are a grayish-brown with spots while they hide, then, when they come out at night, they can change slightly to become pale pink or tan in color.

This frog generally lives in trees, and tends to climb and walk more than hop. They have specialized sticky disks on the ends of their fingers and toes that allow them to hang onto leaves. They also like to lay their eggs in bromeliad plants that grow towards the top of trees, which often have long, stiff leaves and showy flowers.

Some scientists believe that the Caretta robber frog is actually a mixture of several other species. It is very common and currently not endangered, though slight population declines have been observed in some places.

Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Green climbing toad (Incillius coniferus)

Cute Frog of the Week: December 26, 2010

Most of us normally don’t imagine toads as arboreal creatures because we normally have to avoid stepping on them on the ground while gardening or hiking in the woods. But the green climbing toad is quite adept at, well, climbing. This nocturnal toad can be found high up in trees and shrubs, ranging from humid lowlands in eastern Nicaragua to Ecuador, though most have been found in Central America.

These toads have a stout body with small skin folds across the chest as well as on their heels and knees. They can be found in a variety of colors from yellow-green to olive green, and are sometimes even a dull gray to brown. Their color patterns often tend to be either solid or have contrasting lighter and darker blotches and/or gold spots.

In addition, they are covered in warts, some of which are dark in color and can even be somewhat spiky in texture. Their long fingers and toes are slightly webbed and have tiny horizontal ridges on them. Their fingers and toes are also different lengths.

The green climbing toad is not endangered, but the largest threat to this species is the loss of its habitat from deforestation, mining, logging and urbanization.

Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Fringe-limbed tree frog (Cochranella euknemos)

Cute Frog of the Week: December 19, 2011

The beautiful fringe-limbed tree frog is named for the small amount of whitish, fleshy fringe along the edges of its lower arms, hands, legs and feet. However, it is most memorable for its distinct colors—a deep blueish-green covered with many raised, yellowish-white spots. Their skin is also somewhat transparent, and their bones appear greenish through their skin. The fringe-limbed tree frog does not start out this beautiful, however. As if having to grow into their colors, the tadpoles, with their very long tails, are pale in color.

Because of this frog’s particularly long snout, its eyes are completely visible from the front of its head, unlike some other frogs, whose eyes can only be seen from the side. The specific name, euknemos, derives from Greek and means “with beautiful legs.” The male mating call sounds like a rapidly repeated “creep, creep, creep.”

These frogs can be found in humid Central and South American forests. They are more abundant in Columbia, but rare in Costa Rica and Panama because of deforestation.

Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Caracas snouted treefrog (Scinax rostratus)

Cute Frog of the Week: Dec. 5, 2011

Although considered a tree frog, don’t go looking for this species too high up in the trees. Even though they are great climbers, these drably colored frogs seem to prefer to stay mainly on vegetation that is lower to the ground and that tends to grow around small ponds. They can be recognized by their raspy call: “Yek Yek Yek.”

These frogs can be found in the lowlands of central Panama to Colombia and northern Venezuela. They prefer subtropical or tropical forests, moist savanna, and freshwater marshes, but have also been seen in pastureland and rural gardens. Their common name comes from Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and their Latin name is derived from the Greek word skinos, which means quick or nimble.

While the Caracas snouted tree frog has a stable wild population, the species is threatened by habitat destruction.

Photo by Mauricio Rivera Correa.

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/